Names & Faces

Associated Press

Updated 12:03 am, Thursday, June 28, 2012

Photo: Eugene Hoshiko, Associated Press

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FILE - This May 18, 2012 file photo shows USA's Jason Richardson gesturing at a news conference for the Shanghai Diamond League track and field competition in Shanghai, China. Also on the 26-year-old's lengthy bucket list: write his own novel, become a millionaire by 35 and stand on an Olympic podium, maybe even this summer. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) less

FILE - This May 18, 2012 file photo shows USA's Jason Richardson gesturing at a news conference for the Shanghai Diamond League track and field competition in Shanghai, China. Also on the 26-year-old's lengthy ... more

Photo: Eugene Hoshiko, Associated Press

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Photo: Tim Johnson, Associated Press

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Jason Richardson

Attending a news conference on bio-mechanics and efficiency, the 2011 world champion in the 110-meter high hurdles was asked if his dreads might be slowing him. "I definitely think I'm Samson. There's a lot of power and majesty in my hair," he said. "The act of cutting my hair would be a big problem." Richardson should be in the mix for the U.S. team, with Aries Merritt, David Oliver, Dexter Fault and Ronnie Ash. The final is Saturday. "The only variable is you and your mind-set," Oliver said. "It's 10 hurdles, 42 inches high, 10 meters apart. I try to get as constant as possible."

"The Glide" is denying that he made negative statements attributed to him about Magic Johnson in a book about the Dream Team. In Jack McCallum's book, "Dream Team," Drexler is quoted as saying that Johnson earned a spot on the Olympic team and the MVP award in the 1992 All-Star Game only out of pity resulting from his HIV diagnosis the previous year. Drexler is quoted as saying, "Everybody kept waiting for Magic to die. Every time he'd run up the court, everybody would feel sorry for the guy." Drexler said that the quotes attributed to him are "totally ludicrous."

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